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“I Have a Vision…” he begins in a tone reminiscent of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” “That by Year 2020, Louisiana 2nd Congressional District will have the best educational system in the United States. […] That by Year 2020, Louisiana 2nd Congressional District will have the safest streets in the United States of America—Zero crime, Zero drugs and Zero Police Corruption. […] That by Year 2020, Louisiana 2nd Congressional District can provide free health care to each and every one of their residents regardless of age, race, gender, visiting status or natural origin—Imagine free health care for everyone in our district!” Imagine. Such an easy thing to get people to do—imagine a future, utopian society. The cynic in me began to wonder, as I waited for Mendoza at our Uptown coffee shop rendezvous, how he planned to turn such a vision into reality. Additionally, the “Amazing Grace” hymn that greets viewers on his site appropriately coincides with Mendoza’s solid, Christian stance: “Let’s pray for the country we love.” His website boasts the importance of a “God-fearing” man assuming the Congressional post; but, given the fact that President George W. himself boasts he’s a Church-going Christian, my cynical side once again squirmed with concern. When Mendoza arrived at the coffee shop, smiling and eager to discuss his campaign, he offered me his business card, which read “God Save America;” so, I had to ask if he could discuss his views on the separation of Church and State. “Do you think,” I questioned, “religion or faith is an effective way to address the moral character of a candidate in this day and age?” He replied, “In order to convey your honesty you have to believe in yourself. To me, I believe in God. I don’t think like some people have said that America is being punished for involvement in Iraq. I believe we punish ourselves. We have two choices. One, to allow things to continue being the way they are with the Bush administration. The other choice” he continued, “is to stand up and take action and change the direction of our country.” Born in Guatemala to a coffee farming family, Mendoza admitted his privilege, “I was born into a wealthy family because I didn’t have to work.” But this privilege did not spare him from the terror of Guatemala’s civil war, which displaced one million Guatemalans to the United States. “I had a younger brother and sister who were kidnapped and killed. Because we had money, we were targeted. My father was kidnapped, too.” Perhaps Mendoza’s hardships encourage his faith and his desire to stand up and fight against corruption and for freedom, for he seems quite aware of the juxtaposition of prosperity and destruction that is America. After relocating from Guatemala to Washington D.C. with his mother in 1976, Mendoza decided to join the Air Force. “I joined the military and while I was stationed in Pentagon, I learned through classified documents that the people who bombed Guatemala in 1954 was the US Air Force,” revealed the candidate. No doubt the historical behavior of the US coupled with the present behavior has spurred Mendoza to consider candidacy as a means for generating change. For Mendoza, actions speak louder than words. Though both he and President Bush seemingly define their religious beliefs with the same rhetoric, their actions define them as drastically different individuals. Mendoza explained, “So far, I believe that we have the God of money, which is George Bush. He is more concerned with making money for himself and his friends at the expense of the troops and the people of Iraq. If you look at his actions, he’s attended more than 300 fundraisers for politicians; meanwhile, 3,000 troops have died and he has not attended one funeral service. That doesn’t show character for a commanding chief. That’s a negligent Commander in Chief.” He added, “I have not sought to receive any financial aid from any group. I don’t owe any favors to anybody. I plan to donate at least 10% of everything I make, from retirement and capital gains, while I’m in office. Also, I plant to donate to the reconstruction of New Orleans, starting with Lower 9th.” As a result of the 2005 hurricane, Mendoza and his family suffered more than $30,000 in wind and flood damages. Initially, his insurance responded with a laughable $750. After months of fighting his insurance company, they increased the amount to $12,000; however, Mendoza’s deductible rose from $500 to $5000 without notice. “That’s when I decided to fight for people who cannot fight for themselves,” he noted. “And that’s what I intend to do at Congress. I think it’s important for someone who has lost everything and come back help other people to do the same.”
“It’s very simple,” he claimed. “It’s not a dream. When you live, work, and play in the safest country in the world, where the smartest people live, you see how it’s done.” Of course, Mendoza is not referring to the United States but rather Japan. “I lived in Japan for nine years, so very I became involved and knowledgeable. If we want to improve, look at how Japan does it. They get the kids ready at the very early stages. It’s a matter of educating people; if you provide the means, it will force them to go that route.” Mendoza, father of three now-adult children, used his own as examples of how the right programs can provide America’s youth with the means for success. “All my kids dropped out of high school around the age of fifteen,” he explained. “I’m middle-class; so, if most people consider this information, they might ask, ‘What will be the future of these kids? Drugs? Never going to college?” But Mendoza’s children defy the stereotypes. They each continued their educations through the National Guard’s “Youth Challenge Program.” “The first drop-out is now twenty-five, a Lieutenant in the National Guard, and working toward graduation from the University of New Orleans,” beamed the candidate. His other two children have followed a similar path and are currently training in the “Youth Challenge Program” and attending school at Delgado Community College. “You see,” said Mendoza confidently, “we already have a good program in place. The program only accepts drop-outs and has a 90% success rate.” Mendoza continued to champion the Japanese for their educational and military methods. “Our military adopted the Japanese approach and this youth program is already statewide. We could utilize most of the curriculum from the Japanese and work to find the funds for it.”
He plans to bring Japanese investors to New Orleans in an effort to rebuild and bring to fruition his NOLA Vision 2020. Should Mendoza not win enough votes to take the Congressional seat, he wishes to offer his resources to whoever achieves the 2nd District title. “I will be available to whoever makes it,” he said. “I will be a bridge for whoever makes it. I will offer my contacts with the Japanese, from education to economic development.” Mendoza’s NOLA Vision 2020 for the future of the 2nd District appears a 20/20 vision that comes only from hindsight. His personal and military experiences have afforded him such hindsight and shaped a genuine and worldly character, which quieted my cynicism. Mendoza, よい運!
Monica Mankin is a regular correspondent for NOLAFugees.com. |
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